A 25-year-old woman undergoes a liver biopsy. The histology shows hepatocytes arranged in plates one cell thick, with sinusoids lined by fenestrated endothelium and a distinct perisinusoidal space (space of Disse). Vitamin A-storing fat cells are noted in this space. These fat-storing cells are called:

• A Kupffer cells
• B Pit cells (hepatic NK cells)
• C Hepatic stellate cells (Ito cells) ✓
• D Sinusoidal endothelial cells

Explanation

Hepatic stellate cells (also called Ito cells, perisinusoidal cells, or lipocytes) reside in the space of Disse between the hepatocytes and the sinusoidal endothelium. In their quiescent state they store vitamin A (retinol) as lipid droplets. Upon activation by liver injury (e.g., viral hepatitis, alcohol), they transform into myofibroblast-like cells producing collagen type I and III — the cellular basis of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Kupffer cells are the resident macrophages of the liver sinusoids.

Reference: BD Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, 8th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.